Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 46448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 232(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 232(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
“Are you going to keep staring at me or are you going to come in and talk?” he asked.
She hadn’t realized she’d been caught. Part of her wanted to run and hide. She ignored that part, and instead, stepped into the room. “Hey.”
Preach didn’t say a word as he pushed the weights up into the air, counting as he did.
Once he was done, he slowly put them back on the bar just a little behind him, and he sat up. A cloth rested on his knee, and he picked it up to wipe his face. “What’s up?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“Do you think I haven’t seen you stalking me, little girl?”
“I’m not a little girl, and I haven’t been stalking.”
“You’re everywhere. What do you want?” Preach asked.
This wasn’t going exactly as she hoped. Yes, there might have been an element of stalking to her approach, but it wasn’t done on purpose. She had every intention of coming and asking him a question, but she held herself back.
“It’s not important.” She went to turn on her heel.
“You know you don’t get shit done in this world unless you act. You think I hovered between doorways in the service? Waiting to ask questions? No. That would have gotten us all killed. I acted.”
“Did you ever kill anyone?”
Preach stared at her, long and hard. There was no way he was going to answer that question, and the truth was, she already knew the answer.
“Fine. Sorry. I, er, I was, I’m feeling like a third wheel. With Landon and Anna. I was wondering if you could help me find my own place.”
“What does Duke say?”
“I haven’t asked Duke.”
“Then I can’t help you. You’re under his protection. I’ll only help you find what you’re looking for if he gives the all-clear.”
“He, er, he doesn’t trust me,” Maya said.
Preach stood. The man was tall. “Why doesn’t he trust you?”
She was going to lie, but then she stopped herself. Preach didn’t deserve lies, but the truth.
“Because of me. I’m the reason he doesn’t trust me.”
“And what you need to do, little girl, is convince him you’re not going to fuck up again.”
Maya was used to wearing the mask so no one knew what she was thinking or feeling. It was an act she’d perfected during her years of being around her abusive father. Preach didn’t see anything of what his words did to her, but on the inside, she was hurting, really bad.
Still, she didn’t allow him to see.
“I won’t fuck up, but I need my own space.”
“Then why don’t you continue to show Duke that you’re not being a little brat. Show him how strong you are. How hard you’re working to build that trust, and in time, he will show you the respect you deserve.”
She had tried to do that, but it was taking far too long. Anna and Landon deserved their privacy, and the truth was, she just wanted space of her own. Space where no one constantly asked her if she was okay. If there was anything she needed. Not that she was being ungrateful to them, because she truly was grateful. It would just be nice to not be babysat every single second of every single day.
Someone was always watching her.
You wouldn’t have a problem if Preach was.
Only, he was never on her babysitting detail. No, she only got the glimpses she wanted of him during her stalking detail.
She had to get a life.
Chapter Eleven
Luna laughed as Matthew tickled her. Matthew hadn’t bothered Eliza again with any more author talk, and after half hour or so, she’d been able to relax and just enjoy the party.
Kids were present, and Matthew had told her it meant no kinky sex stuff was going to happen, which she was happy about. Of course, she was happy.
It meant she didn’t have to worry about Matthew attempting to take her as an old lady. Then the wave of disappointment hit, which made no freaking sense to her.
This thing with Matthew was new. They didn’t need to spoil it with incorrect attention or anything like that.
It was new. That was all. Only, between them, it wasn’t new. This was a dance they’d been playing since they were teenagers.
Matthew moved between her spread thighs, and she felt the hard ridge of his cock. Need swept through her.
She had gone from a woman who wasn’t interested in sex or making out to hungry for everything with Matthew.
All of a sudden, they came to a stop when her cell phone rang. They both groaned, but Luna reached for her cell phone, determined to turn it off, only to find her mother was calling.
“It’s my mom. I can cancel it and turn my phone off.”
“And have her already be suspicious of me? Nah, you can open it.”
“I haven’t told her about us.”
“Oh,” Matthew said.
“I’ve been meaning to, but we’ve only just decided we’re together, and once I tell her, she’s going to start thinking wedding bells and all of that.”